Our memories of the ocean will linger on long after our footprints in the sand are gone

A renewed focus at RHS is the idea of aligning all assessments to our curriculum and standards. As we continue to review and revise our curriculum outcomes and goals to be in line with our state learning standards, we also need to be sure that the daily assessments we give our students are hitting the mark with regard to assessing what our curriculum states we should be teaching. This is not a new process by any means but one that must stay at the forefront of what we do.

There are certain steps necessary to ensure this takes place. It begins with “unpacking” our curriculum and identifying the intended learning outcomes for each unit of instruction and mapping those specific outcomes onto a table of specifications – otherwise referred to as a blueprint. After each question of every assessment gets mapped onto this table, teachers will be able to analyze what is and isn’t and what should and shouldn’t be on each unit assessment. The table will also visually illustrate the relative emphasis on each area of the unit as well as the reliability and validity of the assessment. While this process is tedious and time consuming, it will help us ensure that all areas of our curriculum are being assessed appropriately and allow us to make adjustments where needed.

This process began with our November 5th early dismissal day when we hosted a workshop by Dr. Leslie Grant, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Associate Professor for Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership from the William & Mary School of Education. Dr. Grant will be returning to RHS on February 7th to work with small groups of staff and administrators. We will continue this critical work as a high school staff throughout the remainder of this school year.

A snow day before Thanksgiving ~ hard to believe!! Another Thanksgiving here already ~ also hard to believe!

What remains constant in this ever changing and fast moving world is how grateful I am for my family and friends ~ made better by the fact that I get to come to this amazing high school each day to work with amazing staff and students.

The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a time of reflection for me. Something I try to remember each day is that we are defined only by that which we choose to be defined by. With everyone’s ability these days to write and post anything and everything they wish whether it be based on fact or not is creating a world in which it is sometimes difficult to navigate through and sometimes leads us away from focusing on those things we should be grateful for. Block out the noise ~ stay true to yourself and your values ~ be grateful for what is and whenever possible do the small thing that makes someone else feel big! I love my family ~ they are my rock. I am thankful for my friends ~ they are near and dear to me and never let me down. I am grateful that my career has provided me amazing opportunities to interact with incredible young people. And I am forever grateful that I have memories of a Dad that loved me unconditionally.

Just sharing a few pics of me being grateful since last Thanksgiving 🙂

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BEST WISHES TO ALL FOR A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND LOTS OF GREAT STUFFING 🙂

Sheriff James Gannon from Morris County came to RHS on October 10th to speak to our students about vaping and the considerable consequences of misusing social media. He spoke with two sessions of students and shared actual incidents of how both of these topics can cause physical and emotional harm.

We continue to try and educate our students about not only the consequences associated with vaping but the potential health dangers that are just being discovered. Hopefully the videos shared at BTSN have helped educate everyone on the potential high levels of nicotine that can be added to these electronic devices not to mention the illegal oils that are also available.

We continue to also see the misuse of social media to include texting. Students still share with us that they thought the site was “private” or that they only sent it to “one” friend. We like to tell them that if it’s not something you want to appear as a headline on network news ~ don’t send it. Nothing is private!

This September 11th marks the dedication of a new memorial in Shanksville, PA. The Tower of Voices was designed with wind chimes to replicate the voices of the 40 people who lost their lives. Many of these individuals were able to leave what I am sure were heart wrenching voice mail messages for their loved ones. It is reported that some who actually spoke with those not on the flight soon realized that they were likely part of the terrorist attack and decided to fight back. Did they realize that by fighting back and forcing the crash in Shanksville, that they were sparing lives and destruction on what many believe was supposed to be an attack on the US Capitol? When thinking about the courage of those on board, it is impossible to imagine that while knowing on some level that you were likely not going to see your loved ones again~ you somehow had to find the inner strength to do whatever possible to hopefully stop the hijacking in progress.

We all have those we call heroes ~ both personal to just us and some well known and of celebrity status. I don’t think there is any doubt that these 40 individuals are heroes in every sense of the word.

It is hard to believe this attack is already 17 years old ~ I hope we all still take a moment to reflect and remember this day.

We are ready to welcome the Class of 2022 to the high school RAMily! We spent tonight welcoming families and giving our incoming freshmen a bit more time to navigate the building with our Tomorrow’s Leaders!

Transition is never easy and moving from 8th grade to high school can be anxiety producing for students and families. I have found some universal messages over the years that are timeless. Tell your new high schooler:

There is no one right path ~ listen to what excites you and pursue it

Volunteer, join, participate ~ there is more to high school than just academics

That being said ~ challenge yourself academically and learn no matter what…

We were invited to participate with our Marching RAMS today- WE HAD A GREAT TIME and developed an even deeper understanding and respect for the incredible amount of passion, talent and energy our students and staff devote to become the MARCHING RAMS we all know and love at halftime. Kudos to the students and staff- you are all AMAZING!

Here we are again- staring in the face of another school year! It doesn’t seem possible but it’s here nonetheless. I don’t state that with sadness- quite the opposite! The beginning of each year is a renewed opportunity to have a positive impact on young lives and interact with a myriad of unique colleagues.

We welcome the Class of 2022 as we embark on the final year for our Class of 2019. Our goal for all students remains to help them make memories, pursue passions and leave us prepared for the next journey!!

We adopted a whole school fundraiser this year – working toward supporting a member of our larger community. It is our hope to not only have a positive impact on this family- but to understand and appreciate the importance of the greater good- a lesson for all time!